Nowadays, most smart cards are those which communicate with a reader in a contact-based manner. That is to say that a contact zone is arranged on the smart card, said contact zone constituting an interface to corresponding contacts in the reader. In addition, however, smart cards can also be designed for contactless (wireless) communication. For this purpose, a smart card antenna can be provided in the smart card, such that the communication can be effected wirelessly therewith and by means of the magnetic field generated by the reader.
Both the smart card antenna and the smart card module, which accommodates the electronics of the smart card, can be arranged within the smart card. The smart card antenna is then electrically coupled to the smart card module usually via corresponding contacts.
One weak point in the production of the smart cards described is the contact point between the smart card antenna and the smart card module, that is to say the linking of the smart card antenna wire to the smart card module. In one conventional contact-making method, so-called thermocompression welding, the antenna wire is welded to the smart card module by means of pressure and temperature. In this case, the smart card module is subjected to high thermal and also mechanical loads. Problems, for example in the form of failures for the user, can then arise for example as a result of the delamination of the potting compound body (which covers the surface of the smart card module and protects the chip) from the smart card module or as a result of inadequate adhesion of the antenna wire to the smart card module.